CEB

Yes, the E90 is that rough and I can't imagine the new one being that much better. Speed bumps feel like hitting a curb at 30mph and manhole covers (even the fairly smooth ones that are even with the roadway) should be avoided at all costs. I've hit minor road imperfections in the E90 that would make you swear you bent a wheel when the same imperfection in my Acura felt like a expansion strip.

The E is the girl you marry, the 5 is the affair and the 3 is a one night stand at a convention.

You need to consider that time with your baby in the car as your baseline for minimum comfort. I wouldn't put a baby into a current M - the 5 is better but an E (even the AMG) drives much smoother

Bingo.

stale-bread

IMHO, after owning a MB for 2 months vs. 2 BMW's for 5 years, I would recommend BMW if you hunger the feel of the road. They are very different vehicles and your choices are even more vast. My MB can feel like I'm steering a boat in comfort mode, and does provide great feedback in sport mode. The M3 is SUPER tuned for overall performance. Cant lose with that choice except for leg and head room. Apples and Oranges again.

VINBENZO

The new 2014 S-class interior is to die for. I'm willing to sell everything and live in there

hyperion667

I agree completely!
to get designo, in addition to all the other goods: you're looking at about 150k
the build my dealer and I configured had me around 140; and that was before the designo cost

C63newdude

I don't know your height and weight and I am not aware if you have amily or not but I will give you my opinion:

The M-3 is very old news for us "car enthusiast", it was bad a$$ 6 years ago when it came out but like I said..6 years ago. The M3 will lose its value soon, BMW is due for a new M-3 within the next year or so.

The E550 is a sleeper, it is a big car with luxury in mind. The AWD is a plus and when comparing a regular E350 with the E550 you get a lot for the price(engine and AWD).

I personally owned a C63 AMG, I modded it as well(Tune, LTH and air filter). I would consider a C63 before I consider a M3. There is a cocky guy in my Unit(USAF) that thinks that his M-3 is fast. He spent $6000 on a Akrapovic titanium exhaust, an air filter and he doesn't even have a tune.

He only ran a best of 13.5@105mph in the 1/4 mile, keep in mind that his car has DCT and launch control. I smoked his car with my 12.9@111mph stock(when it was stock). We are in altitude 3100ft elevation and is hot as hell here in Tucson.

Like I said, my recommendation would be a 2014 e550 or a used C63. Don't get the old style E350, the newer engine is better in fuel economy. my .2c

K-A

Don't think I've ever heard anyone call an E92 M3 "old news", but I guess there's a first for everything.

Most people still regard it as the benchmark and a superior vehicle to the C63. The E92 M3 running a 13.5 @ 105 means two of its cylinders were probably inoperable. Are you sure you're not talking about an E46 M3? 'Cause that's what those run.

Not to mention when the E90 M3 (4 door) embarrassed everyone at that Cadillac CTS-V "I dare you to beat us" track event, full of much more powerful cars (M5's, CTS-V's, etc.), by taking home the best time.

I'm not particularly a huge "M3 guy" but one has to respect it being one of the most well respected, sharpest and more precise performance tools in automotive history. The connection you feel when driving that car, the sporting dynamics are a thing that AMG still strive to match.

2006_C350

Umm...the current M3 came out in 2008. I used to have one...

2006_C350

The only thing "old" about the current M3 is the body style. I was in love with it when I first bought it back in 2008 at a DEEP discount because of the financial crisis during that time these cars just weren't moving.

The M3 is the ultimate driving machine. The other "M's" are comparable to the AMG's but the M3 tremendously outperforms the AMG as K-A was saying.

C63newdude

Wikipedia shows 2007 being the year. But we always "assume" that people from this forum is from the USA when that is not the case.

C63newdude

No...no missing or faulty cylinders, E90 body style.

K-A

Then he simply had no idea how to drive. A 13.5 at 105 is simply an insanely slow time for an M3. I think a 335i could even possibly beat that time.

The E90/E92 chassis M3 is simply a marvel of engineering. The C63 is a beast but nowhere near as balanced and perfected as a race-inspired precision tool as the M3.

Like I said, I'm not a huge M3 fan, not something I'd buy, but it's still the King in its league. Guys who have the E90/E92 M3's treat it like a religion almost, considering how connected they feel with the car. And I'm not talking about hotheaded fanboys.

2006_C350

In that case I think my math is off 2013 - 2007 = 7 years, or yours is. I obviously love the E92 M3, especially the DCT. Only reason I sold it was because my wife can't drive a 6 speed. I realized 2 years later I should have bought a DCT then I could have kept the beast.

VINBENZO

Hype, did you add the $350 "active perfuming" option? Haha

FastE

I do like BMW performance, so when I was looking for something for my family (my wife drives the SUV for space). I wanted AWD, so I looked at the S6, E550 AMG package, and 550 xdrive m package. All good cars, but when you look close....

Audi: Very ast, but boring exterior, and cheap interior, and expensive. My friends with Audi complain about frequent repairs as well
BMW: Sorry to BMW lovers, but the dashboard looks like my fathers town car! Almost every model does. It is a great car but I couldn't get past this. Great cars beyond that.
Merc: I fell in love with the interior and the ride. The engine is amazing (I bought a 2011 5.5L V8 no turbos), and the handling is good. Audi moves faster, and BMW handles better, but they just don't measure up to the Benz in terms of class.

Of course we are all biased but that was my feelings when I recently purchased my first Benz.